Apple has a strong reputation for the security of its devices, so if you’re a Mac user, you may assume you don’t need the added protection of a VPN, or virtual private network. But even if you’re a Mac user, your internet service provider can still track your browsing activity on both MacOS and iOS, and the websites you visit can collect your IP address. MacOS can’t stop either of those things, but the best Mac VPN can. So if you want to help keep your online activity private and better protect your digital information, you should consider using a VPN from one of our well-tested picks.
When we determine the best Mac VPN for our readers, we look into several factors that are specific to being a Mac user: First, if you’re a MacOS user, you’re probably used to a clean, intuitive user interface with a minimal learning curve and a well-organized set of digital tools, which is why we closely evaluate a VPN’s usability. In addition, although not all Apple products are faster than a PC or Windows device, we want to see a VPN service with a connection speed that complements MacOS machines’ reputation for being speedy.
We also know that for many Mac users, a broad resistance to app-borne viruses and malware is a big reason for selecting that ecosystem over Windows. To that end, we assess a VPN’s antitracker capacity and its general compatibility with Apple’s increasingly heightened privacy policies.
Note that there are currently some limits to the privacy that VPNs offer MacOS and iOS users. Recent independent research has suggested that iOS (and some MacOS) users’ browsing and internet data may be sent to Apple despite the protections offered by an encrypted VPN tunnel. We’ll continue to update our recommendations as more research emerges around this issue.
Drawn from our directory of the best VPN services, these are our top recommendations for the best Mac VPN. Keep checking back here often, since we regularly update this list as new VPN contenders emerge for the top spot.